A wind assisted Talbot blew away Larkhall in the second half to book their place in the quarter finals of the South Challenge cup in the final competitive fixture of 2024.

Talbot made a decent start & threatened in the 2nd minute when Boyd headed on into the path of McAvoy who flashed a low pass across the face of goal that just eluded Thomson at the back post.

A minute later Talbot came close again. Sime won it on the left & played it into McAvoy who cut inside and rifled a low shot across goal and just wide of the left hand post.

Five minutes in and Talbot squandered a good chance to grab the opener. Gillies swept over a good cross from the left which McAvoy knocked down towards Boyd 8 yards out. He could have hit it but opted to take a couple of touches and the chance was lost.

The visitors had offered little but had a chance to test the Bot defence in the 8th minute when they won a free kick just wide left of the Bot penalty area. Jones took it and angled a low ball into the near post where Schoneville reacted first to clear.

In the 14th minute Boyd turned his man down the left of the area and drilled it low across the 6-yard area where the defence managed to clear. Talbot kept the pressure up, regaining possession outside the box and ending with Sime firing into the side-netting.

Four mins later Talbot threatened down the right. McPherson clipped a ball down the wing to find Boyd whose clever touch inside released Thomson into space. He dinked a good cross beyond the back post but no one had gambled on it and it drifted behind.

Twenty mins in and Talbot won a corner down the left which was taken short allowing Langan the angle to swing a cross into the centre which Alexander could only palm away. It came out to Slooves who fired an effort at goal from 12 yards but his shot was blocked by a defender.

With half an hour gone Sime carried the ball forward from midfield and fired on target but drilled his shot straight at the keeper.

The Bot’s next attack saw Boyd latch onto a ball down the left and cut it back into the path of McAvoy who took a fresh air swipe at it.

Within a minute Talbot had another half chance. Gillies whipped over a good cross from the left which Thomson met at the back post but he was stretching to reach it and couldn’t control his effort.

In the 39th minute Sime angled a ball across goal from the left of the area but it had too much on it for McAvoy to get on the end of it.

Three minutes before the break Larkhall tested Armour for the first time. Schoneville couldn’t get any distance on his clearing header from a cross from the left and it went straight out to Jones wide on the right. He fired it low into the near post where Armour gathered it.

Action then switched to the other end where Talbot came close to the opener. Boyd did well on the right, whipping over a good cross which broke to Gillies on the left of the area. He fired it low back across goal but just wide of the left hand post.

A minute from the break McAvoy picked up what looked to be a harsh caution when he was a fraction late going for a loose ball in the Larkhall penalty area and soon after the ref signalled an end to the first half.

During the interval the weather took a decided turn for the worse and the teams came back out to sheets of rain being driven toward the clubhouse by a gale force wind.

The 2nd half was only five minutes old when Talbot made their first change with Nimmo coming on in place of McAvoy.

The wind was quite literally in Talbot’s sails and nearly led to the opener in the 55th minute. Gillies swung in a cross from the left that nearly caught Alexander out with the keeper forced to tip it over the bar.

In the 62nd minute Talbot made the breakthrough. CONNOR BOYD raced up the right and slung it low into the near post where Alexander only succeeded in parrying it inside his own post and into the back of the net.

Before Larkhall had a chance to regroup Talbot doubled their lead in the 65th minute. Gillies touched it inside to RUARIDH LANGAN whose swirling effort from 20 yards curled over the keeper to make it 2-0.

A minute later Talbot had a chance to add to their lead. McPherson fired a good low ball across goal to find Gillies beyond the far post and he side-footed it on target but it went straight to the keeper.

In the 70th minute Larkhall made a double switch with Mackiewicz & McLeod departing for the visitors to be replaced by Stevenson & McVey.

Two minutes later Talbot added their third to put the game beyond any doubt. Thomson cut in off the right and swept over a left foot cross to find ALEX NIMMO in the centre and he guided his header into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.

Talbot now made a couple of changes with Kerr and Clark joining the fray.

With quarter of an hour remaining Talbot won a free kick 35 yards out for a foul on Langan. McPherson touched it short to Kerr who fired a low shot wide of the left hand post.

Talbot now made their final change with Miller coming on for Slooves.

Eleven minutes from time Talbot completed the scoring. Clark squared it inside off the left to find RUARIDH LANGAN who fired it low inside the right post from 20 yards to put Talbot 4-0 ahead.

The Bot came close to adding to their tally in the 81st minute. A free kick out on the right was curled in by Kerr and found McPherson who headed it down into the turf and on target only for Alexander to tip it over the bar.

A minute later Schoneville had a go from distance forcing another stop from the keeper who got down low to his left to push his shot wide.

Larkhall pushed forward in the dying stages looking for a consolation but the Bot defence held firm for the clean sheet and saw the tie out.

A good win for the Bot on a day that was an advert for the advantages of summer football. That’s it for 2024 as far as competitive football with Talbot heading through to Ardrossan next Saturday for a friendly. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all at Talbot.

Auchinleck Talbot – Armour, McPherson, Schoneville, Slooves, Wilson, Langan, Sime, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Thomson

Subs – Nimmo, Abed, Boyle, Clark, Kerr, Miller, Hanlon

Larkhall Thistle – Alexander, Jones, O’Kane, McMillan, McCrae, Kennedy, Phairs, Mackiewicz, McLeod, Morris, Carlin

Subs – Reid, Lindsay, Inglis, Fraser, Stevenson, McVey, Campbell (gk)